Delta
by bladesonic2005
Summary: Killzone 2 AU. Delta Squad is dispatched to Helghan with the rest of the Vetkan ISA troops. Together these four must survive the harshest fighting they have seen to best their sworn enemy, while protecting each other. Currently on hiatus.
1. Prologue

**12 November 2359**

**0922 Hours (Vetkan Local Time)**

**Alpha Centauri System**

I ran my hand through my black hair with a sigh. In the dirty mirror, my sharp blue eyes were still bright against the grey of the room. I pushed myself off the vanity and patted down my green and orange ISA Marines uniform. Silence.

"Hey, Z." Broken. "You should come see this light show. It might raise your spirits." Lance Corporal Michael 'Zero' Istomin stood in the doorway. Zero is a small guy. I top out at six feet two inches when I stand up straight, and I have to look down at Istomin from any angle. His traditional Marine hair and dark eyes shouted 'Soldier' to anyone who looked at him. I would bet money that he was the nicest guy on this ship.

"Sounds good." I followed Istomin through the cramped hallways of the ISA Cruiser _Bright Dawn_. Astride us was the _New Sun_ and the _Zephyr_. Istomin and I stepped up the bay window at the end of the hallway.

"What's happening, ladies?" I didn't bother to turn.

"Hey, Alex." Corporal Alex Jekyll, also known as Jackal. He stands between Istomin and myself, and is built stockier than me. Of course, I'm known to be lanky. His spiked blond hair and green eyes lend themselves well to his comedic personality. He's not too shabby with a sniper rifle, either.

"What's goin' on here, Z?" Jekyll directed toward me. With guys named Istomin and Jekyll, I sit awkwardly with the plain name of Zack Davis. Having Sergeant First Class come before it doesn't hurt, though.

"Zero said something about a light show."

"Helghast ships are supposedly just around the corner. We're in the dark, so we've probably got the drop on them." I smiled.

"You guys ever seen these cruisers drop Snow on a Hig ship? It's a thing of beauty." Snow – the shop name for the guided missiles that the _New Sun_-class cruisers were equipped. A fleet firing a volley each on a target means you won't see that target any more. "Here it comes." Our ships drifted lazily forward, past the final moon in our way. Alpha crested against the rock, blazing in our eyes. Then we spotted the Higs.

From where we were standing, we only caught the blue glow of the Snow as they rocketed past the window, then later as they blazed through space toward their target. The Hig ships detonated in a cascading blue inferno, tossing shrapnel haphazardly through space. We cheered.

"If your done watching your little show, there's work to be done." Master Sergeant James Aldaavir, our commanding officer. Together, we formed Delta Squad, the backbone of Team Gamma.

"Yes, sir," we said in unison as Al walked off without another word.

**A/N: Sorry that the prologue is so short, but I wanted to get the introductions out of the way before the first chapter. Hope you enjoyed what's here, and feel free to leave a review if you like.**


	2. Landing

**22 November 2359**

**1532 Hours (Helghan Local Time)**

**Above Pyrrhus City**

_Thump. _Although a hollow sound, the _Bright Dawn _shook violently. Men were tossed about, and the harsh white lights flashed and went dark. The ship was blanketed in red as the backup power came on and the emergency lights brightened. I righted myself and started to stumble toward the launch bay.

"All teams, perform evacuation checks," the sterile, computer-generated female voice called through the PR system.

"Delta, call up!" Al shouted over the radio.

"Davis, I'm up," I replied. Jekyll and Istomin echoed.

"Everyone get down to the pad ASAP. I can only stall for so long." Another eruption from deep below deck rattled the catwalk I was on, flinging me against the railing. I pushed myself up and sprinted down the narrow pass, then slid through the door to the main stairwell. Marines pushed each other against walls as they moved down toward the pad.

"Sarge!" I heard over the cacophony that filled the stairwell. I looked up as Jekyll and Istomin shoved others out of the way to meet me at the landing. "We need to go meet Al," Alex shouted. I nodded my head toward the door to the main hallway.

"I know a faster way down."

* * *

"I never took you as the daredevil type, Z," Istomin said after we landed on the pad.

"Like I said, it was faster." Alex was still on his knees, panting.

"Fuck, I don't like rappelling."

"Maybe you'll appreciate the Intruders more, then." I grabbed Jekyll's collar and hefted him up. Aldaavir jogged toward us, carrying two M82 assault rifles, which he tossed to myself and Istomin. I snatched mine out of the air and checked the magazines. "Nothing quite like it, is there?" Al grunted and motioned for us to follow. We hurried down the steps and ran across the pad to the waiting Intruder. Al stood aside as Istomin, Jekyll, and I quickly jumped up to the riding surface of the Intruder.

"Took you long enough, Delta," the Marine manning the launch controls quipped. Al looked at him and he quickly fell silent.

"Send her down." We dropped.

* * *

The Intruder rocketed toward the ground at a disturbing speed. Exposed above the flight deck, we bounced and jostled against the low railing as the smallest gust of wind. On Helghast, there was no such thing as just a small gust of wind. Halfway through the ride, we hit a patch of turbulence larger than normal that knocked my helmet off. The blowing wind tore through my hair, threatening to rip it out. I cursed as it clanged against the Intruder and tumbled away.

"It wouldn't have done you much good anyway, Sergeant," Al said, only half jokingly. I smiled.

"Where are we landing?" Istomin asked.

"Suburban area around Pyrrhus," I replied. "We were supposed to land somewhere behind the southern front."

"What happened to that idea?" This from Alex.

"There is no southern front, that's what. All of the Higs have their anti-air centered in and around Pyrrhus, so the whole damn lot of us have to go in and get rid of it." The rest of the flight was silent, if you could call it that. It felt more like free-fall and only lasted five minutes. Of course, five minutes on an Intruder is four too many. Nobody's luck is that good.

**22 November 2359**

**1553 Hours (Helghan Local Time)**

**Outside Pyrrhus City**

"Get off!" I shouted as our Intruder smashed into the ground, spraying dirt across our field of view. I vaulted over the railing and slid into cover behind a piece of Intruder. It might have been from ours. Jekyll followed, while Al and Istomin split off and headed west.

"Al, where are we going?" I shouted into the radio on my shoulder.

"Head north! We're to regroup with the rest of Gamma there." I vaulted over the cover I was using and charged forward toward a support beam. A Helghast soldier responded with shots, his bullets kicking up dirt at my feet. Once behind cover, I nodded toward Jekyll, who stood and fired at the Helghast. The bullet from his M54 sniper rifle trailed Helghan dust as it rocketed toward, then through, the Hig's helmet. Red mist hovered where the Helghast stood moments before. I flashed Jekyll a thumbs up, then moved forward. My M82 was braced against my shoulder, and I jogged toward the warehouse where the sniper was. I kicked in the locked door and checked the entrance.

"Warehouse is clear, J," I said over the radio. I waited for Jekyll to catch up, then together we moved deeper into the building. Jekyll drew his M4 Revolver as we checked and cleared each room we encountered. In one of the rooms we found a pair of Hig regulars and one of their SMGs, which I slid across the floor to Jekyll. "In case we get caught off guard."

As the words left my mouth, the exit to the warehouse was kicked open. I reflexively turned and bolted out of the room for cover, pulling Jekyll behind me. A squad of Higs entered the room slowly, their weapons readied. I pulled a grenade from my belt and pulled the pin. _5... 4... 3... _I rolled the explosive into the room and covered my head. Those Higs never had a chance.

"Clear," Jekyll chimed enthusiastically.

"Z, where are you?" Al asked over the radio. I checked the digital map on my wrist.

"About a klick from the waypoint."

"Roger. Have you encountered any resistance?"

"Nothing major. Me and J took care of it."

"Alright. Move to the waypoint as fast as possible."

"Wilco." Then to Jekyll, "We're moving."

"Roger that, chief," Jekyll replied with a smile. I tried not to. We jogged through the slums toward the waypoint, running into no Higs along the way.

"It's like a ghost town," Jekyll noted astutely. I nodded.

"The old saying. 'It's quiet. Too quiet.'"

It was sometimes easy to forget that people used to make their homes where we now shot at each other, but occasionally things appear that remind you of just how awful war is for civilians, too. As Jekyll and I moved through the suburbs, I tripped over a blood-stained teddy bear. Jekyll found a doll, most likely dropped in a hurried evacuation. They were everywhere, we soon realized. When you're getting shot at by every Helghast in a ten-mile radius, however, you tend to ignore them.

We ended up at the waypoint soon enough. Al and Istomin were already waiting, but most of Gamma hadn't arrived yet.

"What do we do now, Al?" Jekyll asked.

"Wait."

**A/N: And thus concludes the first chapter of Delta. I hope that you enjoyed reading it. Please leave a review with any comments or constructive criticism you may have. Look forward to Chapter 2 soon.**


	3. Into The Fire

**23 November 2359**

**0919 Hours (Helghan Local Time)**

**Pyrrhus City**

The journey from the Gamma waypoint to our base in Pyrrhus City was uneventful, with the path already cleared by Team Epsillon. The forward operating base that we established was pieced together on the banks of the Corinth River, within the slums. The Helghast had somehow been pushed onto the defensive, a switch that our commanders had neither expected nor planned for. Surely they were attempting to regroup after the vicious storming of their beaches. Visari's Palace was already within reach.

"It almost wasn't worth the trip," Istomin joked as I wrestled with the standard-issue portable stove. After a few smacks on the ground, it finally ignited, and I set some water over the flame to boil.

"The Higs might live in a hell-hole, but at least their equipment works," I mumbled.

"Don't say that too loud," Al replied as he walked past, pointing in the general direction of the command post. He squatted down next to the tent. "Just got word that we're moving into the city proper tonight." I poured the boiling water through the rationed coffee.

"You want some?" I directed toward Al, while handing the first cup to Istomin.

"Please." Second went his direction. Finally, I filled mine with what was left, then slung both the leftover water and spent grounds away from the camp.

"Don't'cha just love littering?" I joked with a smile.

"Especially when it's not your planet," Al said without a hint of humor. The sergeant stood and walked away, toward the command post. Istomin and I sat in silence for a moment as we both took long drags on the weak coffee that the ISA provided.

"Why is Al such a hard-ass all the time?" Istomin wondered, mostly to himself, I'm sure. Still, I was compelled to reply.

"You can't understand what happened to us during the Vetkan invasion. You weren't there. We saw civilians lit on fire, homes destroyed deliberately and with joy. We saw our best friends get slaughtered. Al watched as his wife and daughter were murdered by Higs, who were laughing as they did it. I witnessed my girlfriend get cut in half by machine gun fire. The Helghast have no regard for civilians or for the rules of war. They will kill who they have to kill, burn what they have to burn, and bomb what they have to bomb to make sure that the enemy is gone for good. You'll most likely come to learn that here." Istomin was silent for a long time, not able to comprehend or sympathize with what he had just heard.

"Well, why aren't you more like Al, then?" he asked after his thinking.

"She was cheating on me." I replied simply. Istomin laughed, the noise echoing against the concrete cliffs.

"I'm sorry, but the way you said that was funny." I shrugged.

"Can't say I blame you." I stood, then offered a hand toward Istomin. "Whaddya say to some target practice?"

**23 November 2359**

**1031 Hours (Helghan Local Time)**

**Outside Gamma Forward Operating Base (FOB)**

"You're getting better, Zero."

"Still not up to par, Z." Istomin didn't come to be known as Zero simply because it sounded cool. Mike was a notoriously poor shot, to the point where he hadn't tagged a single target. I liked to take him out to the range whenever possible, but he's always been a medic first and a killer second.

"Well, I didn't become a good shot overnight." Myself, on the other hand, considered shooting to be among my few skills. I had originally served as a sniper during the Vetkan campaign, but Jekyll is a marginally better shot than I am, so I passed the torch to him. There are perks to fielding an assault rifle, though.

"'Anything worth doing needs practice,' right?" As well as my closest friend, I considered Mike to be my protégé, in a way. I made it a goal to tell him as much as I could before one or both of us ended up dead.

"You're learning."

"I aim to please," Istomin replied, complete with mock bow.

"Quick with the jokes. And here I thought Jekyll was our resident clown." Of course, Jekyll _was _the resident clown. Whereas Istomin was fast on the draw when it came to quips, Jekyll was the type to scare the shit out of you during a firefight by shooting at your feet. I ensured that only happened once.

"I don't think I could compare on a practical level," Mike said. As if on cue, the scummy Helghan mud beneath us was sprayed in our faces by a weak explosive, surely planted by Jekyll.

"Need a bath, ladies?" we heard Jekyll call from above us. A rush of water followed soon after.

"I just had these dry cleaned, you bastard," I shouted as Istomin and I started hurling rocks.

**23 November 2359**

**1748 Hours (Helghan Local Time)**

**Gamma FOB**

The rest of the day passed without incident, and as night fell we found ourselves crammed into the command post, listening to a colonel who's name I couldn't remember brief us on the Pyrrhus attack. In lieu of a proper name, I instead decided to call this man the childish Captain Shouty.

"In the back!" Shouty suddenly, well, shouted, with a point at me. "Name, rank, squad!" I hastily stood.

"Zachary L. Davis, Sergeant First Class, Delta squad, sir."

"Pay attention, sergeant. This could save your life."

"Yes, sir," I replied with a salute, then sat again. Istomin looked at me.

"L?"

"Lucas. After my grandfather." Captain Shouty, who was actually named Colonel Richard Alberts, was describing the plan of assault on Visari Square. The entire demonstration was rounded out by a projected map, animated to show squad movement.

"Delta will be tasked with disabling the arc towers that protect the square, in order to get the rest of the team further into Pyrrhus," Alberts explained. I cursed under my breath in reply. The mention of arc towers was already unsettling, and being inserted without backup did nothing to alleviate this. "If there are no questions, then, let's get this over with gentlemen." The entire room jostled to get out of the tent as fast as possible. I managed to drag Jekyll and Istomin out before the rest of the group. Al was already waiting at our tent. We jogged over to the weapons rack next to the command post. I swiped a M82, then handed a M224 light machine gun to Istomin.

"Go nuts," I chuckled while he checked the box and familiarized himself with the weapon. Jekyll grabbed a M54, as usual.

"My baby," he joked as we all jogged over to Al, who was waiting near an Intruder. We all climbed aboard and Al pounded his fist against the riding surface. The Intruder shook and lifted off.

"Off we go, into the fire," I said flatly.

**A/N: Sorry about all the short chapters. Next time around should have some more action sequences, and it should be longer. Please leave a review with what you liked and what you'd like to see in the next chapter.**


	4. Towers

**23 November 2359**

**1833 Hours (Helghan Local Time)**

**Visari Square**

"Ahh, fuck." The words were simple enough, but they conveyed everything anyone needed to know about the situation. Our Intruder, struck by one of the arc towers we were meant to disable, was set on a crash course into the side of a building. Through the dark smoke and embers, I was able to spy a high-rise building approaching on our right. It was the perfect height for us to jump to.

"Al, we need to get off this thing!" Istomin yelled over the roar of the wind.

"We might be able to jump over here." I pointed at the building coming at us. The Intruder shook viciously, sending pieces of sheet metal and railing toward the ground.

"Alright, we're getting off this thing. I don't care how. Follow Zack's lead." I nodded quickly and tried to brace myself against the near-useless safety rail.

"About 10 meters!" I heard someone call, not sure who. I checked to make sure my M82 was secured to my vest, then stepped precariously up to the railing. With my head above the black smog, I could see the rooftop immediately below me.

"Go, go, go!" I pulled the others to their feet and watched as they leaped off the Intruder. As Al left the riding surface, I found that I was running out of rooftop, and fast. I cursed and threw myself off the Intruder. Thick smoke and flames stung at my eyes, and I could barely make out the edge of the building. With outstretched arms, I was miraculously able to snag the outer edge of the roof. The thunder of an explosion rocked me soon after, threatening to toss me away from the building. After a couple of attempts at finding a foothold, along with a display of upper body strength I didn't think possible from myself, I finally pulled myself up and rolled across the very real boundary between life and death. Al was the first to run over to me. He simply pulled me to my feet and slapped me on the back.

"Jesus balls, man," Jekyll panted. "I think that just topped any kind of combat I might ever see."

"Alright, we need to move." Al had already forgotten what had happened with the Intruder. At least, he acted the part. "Weapons check?" We all replied positively. "Well, then let's go make sure that never happens again." We followed Al through the building's cramped hallways and stairwells, weapons at the ready the whole time. The building was clear, and after a few minutes time we found ourselves in Visari Square. Al started to trace out a plan of attack.

"With our Intruder in the toilet, we're going to have to split up. I'll attack the west tower. Z, you're with Istomin on the east. Jekyll, go find yourself a perch and cover my approach." 'Sir's were exchanged in reply and we all split off toward our objectives.

**23 November 2359**

**1856 Hours (Helghan Local Time)**

**Eastern Visari Square**

"How's that MG feel?" I asked Istomin as we moved through the dirty Helghan alleyways.

"It's a little big," he replied, dripping with innuendo that I painfully ignored. The bitter Helghan winds kicked trash and dust around in the cramped alleys. Metal beams and concrete outcrops covered the sky, which was dark and clouded. I lead Istomin toward the arc tower platform.

"How are we going to take this thing down?" Istomin questioned.

"Firstly, we're gonna try and plant some charges on the platform to try and just knock the thing down. If that doesn't work, we go in and cut off it's power."

"And if that doesn't work?"

"We'll probably be dead," I said dryly.

"You're pretty frank about it," Mike replied with a hint of disappointment.

"There's no reason not to be. Plus, if you expect to get killed around every corner, you're usually pleasantly surprised. It keeps your spirits up." As we hit the next turn, the massive support columns for the arc tower platform came into view. "That's our main target," I said with a point. We hurried across the paved clearing toward the platform. I drew a C4 charge from my satchel and handed it to Istomin, then pulled out another for myself.

"I always wanted to be a demo guy," Istomin joked. The charges attached to reinforced concrete easily enough, and soon we were behind cover with detonators in hand. I counted down from three and hit the detonator. The shaped charges went off, blowing the supports away. The groan of the massive steel platform was soon replaced by the scrape of metal against concrete as the arc tower started to collapse.

Right on top of us.

"Shit! Zero, get clear!" I pushed Istomin out of the path of the crumbling behemoth, then sprinted down the clearing toward the alleyways.

"Look, right there!" I managed to hear a Helghast soldier shout over the scream of the falling arc tower. Concrete started to splinter as the soldier fired at us. I shoved Istomin to cover, then turned and started firing back. The first burst tagged the Helghast in the shoulder, and the second punched through the Helghast's metal respirator. The arc tower smashed into an adjacent building, breaking it open with as much effort as it takes to open a jar. It finally came to rest halfway to the ground, suspended across the chasm by thin wires and cement.

"This is Zero, the eastern tower is down," I heard Istomin call into his radio as I scanned the rooftops for more Helghasts. I spotted two trying to climb down to the ground from the arc tower. I dropped to a crouch and placed the hazy green sight over the first Helghast. Two shots missed by a few inches, but the third hit squarely on his hand. The dark suited man lost his grip and tumbled to the ground, impacting with a crunch. The second paused to draw a pistol, then turned and started firing at me. I spun and darted behind cover.

"Care to change that zero to a one?" I asked Istomin. He grinned, readied his M224, and leaned out of cover. I watched as he sprayed wildly, still firing even after the soldier had fell to the ground. I grabbed him on the shoulder.

"You're done!" I shouted into his ear. The weapon clicked empty. Istomin turned back to me, smiling widely.

"I finally got one, man!" he cheered.

**24 November 2359**

**0012 Hours (Helghan Local Time)**

**Visari Square**

"Do we still get to call you Zero?" Jekyll asked as we toasted to another successful suicide mission, and to a kill. The group laughed, even Al, and we downed our drinks. We huddled around the single electric lantern, exchanging stories about both today's and past campaign's events.

"...And so now all of a sudden a hundred and fifty tons of steel are falling on our heads, and Z here starts shouting and pushing me." Istomin, completed with flailing arm movements, was recounting the events at the arc tower. I tuned it out; I was there, after all, and tried to enjoy the modicum of peacefulness.

"What about you, Z?" I was interrupted by Jekyll. "You got any crazy Vetka stories?" I sat up and thought for a moment.

"Well, there was the time I took a tank for a joyride, got caught by a Hig attack, and took them out single-handedly." Al chuckled, but the other two looked at me with eyes that said 'you're a liar and I know it'. Al, of course, laughed because he knew it was true.

"Tell me something else I won't believe," Jekyll laughed.

"How about the mile and a half headshot? You believe that?" Jekyll scoffed.

"Al would never lie to me. What've you got, Sarge?" Al pondered the question.

"Nothing that would catch your attention," he replied, with a glance at me. Whereas Jekyll wanted to hear the heroism and the flare of combat, Al only remembered the true grit and horror stories. The ones that cement the visions of dying comrades in your memory forever. I tried my best to shake mine off. After a few minutes of silence, Istomin looked at me.

"Why did you join the Marines anyway, Z?"

"Hmm?" I mumbled.

"Well, you aren't the flag-waving patriot that Al is, and you served in the Vetkan campaign, so it wasn't for the same reasons we joined." We being Jekyll and Istomin.

"Believe it or not, I am actually a flag-waving patriot, but I don't wave the flag too much," I joked.

"Seriously, Z. Why did you enlist?" I sighed and laced my fingers together behind my head.

"My great grandfather served in the First Extrasolar War. Both my grandfather and father enlisted in the Marines after that. Add to that the ever-present knowledge of Visari and his epic perpetual war machine looming just next door and I think you find reason enough. I actually enlisted after we got word of the incoming invasion. I hadn't planned on making the military my career. I was studying to become a teacher, believe it or not."

"A teacher with impeccable aim."

"Yeah. I could've hit misbehaving kids with paper from the other side of the lecture hall," I retorted with a smile.

"Well, you're only twenty-six," Jekyll chimed in. "You could still do that."

"But see, you're assuming that we're going to make it out of here alive."

"Sergeant First Class Zack Davis and his infinite pessimism," Jekyll groaned.

"At least he's realistic," Al mumbled. We were all quiet for what felt like an hour, listening to the howl of the wind. Jekyll broke the silence.

"Is war really that bad?" Al and I looked at each other.

"Yeah."

**24 November 2359**

**1006 Hours (Helghan Local Time)**

**Visari Square**

"Go get 'em, boys!" Jekyll shouted as the rest of Team Gamma thundered over our heads. An empty Intruder lowered from the cloud and landed next to our camp.

"Need a ride, darlings?" the pilot called. We climbed aboard and the Intruder lifted up again.

"Good work on the arc towers, Delta," Colonel Alberts crackled over the radio. "We're moving everyone into Pyrrhus now." Our Intruder quickly climbed to meet the rest as they filtered through the crowded space.

"What's our objective in Pyrrhus?" I asked.

"We haven't gotten a report back from our recon teams, so for now we're just establishing an operating base and hoping for the best."

"What do you think about all this, Al?" Jekyll asked.

"Gotta say, the Helghast disappointed me a little. I was expecting more of a fight." I nodded in agreement. "Either we're better at this than we thought, or they've got something big up their sleeves."

"I hope it's more the first than the second."

**

* * *

A/N: And yet another chapter of Delta is complete. I'm trying to write more about the characters and less about the action, so hopefully that's working out alright. Leave a review if you feel the need.**


	5. Final Stand Part I

**24 November 2359**

**1002 Hours (Helghan Local Time)**

**Outside Visari Square **

"Looks like we hit the jackpot, boys!" Jekyll cried, arms outstretched toward the Helghan capital. Istomin smiled, Al grunted, and I continued to stare at the dull grey of the Intruder's floor. There was a blood stain, faded from years of cleaning. Despite my intentions otherwise, I couldn't help but think about who that blood belonged to. Probably an eager Marine, fresh out of boot camp, ready to kick some ass. It wasn't difficult to imagine his tattered form lying on the tarnished metal as it took flight, his closest friend crouched over him, trying to beat life into him again. I had seen plenty of it. "You lost or something, buddy?" Istomin asked. I shook my head and looked at him. "Nah, just thinking, you know?" Mike slapped me on the back, then turned to resume staring at the Palace.

"We actually get a peaceful landing this time, guys," Al half-heartedly joked. We were starting to rub off on him. I smiled. Al had always been the cold, calculating type, and as much as I admired and wanted to be more like him, I liked enjoying myself too much. Our Intruder touched down as gently as it could, and we all disembarked. Our new FOB was right outside Salamun Bridge, the only viable ground route into and out of Visari's Palace. One hell of a bottle-neck.

"You guys Delta?" A Marine asked as we walked away from the Intruder. Al nodded in reply. "Colonel Alberts is looking for you in the command post." The Marine, clearly a newbie, pointed at the command post like we couldn't see it from miles away.

"Thanks," I said, hiding my sarcasm as best as possible, then followed as the rest trotted toward the largest tent in the camp.

"Greetings, gentlemen," Alberts said as we entered with a level of formality I often forgot was common in the military. Rather than get slapped with insubordination, we replied with a crisp salute. "Right now, we're still trying to figure out why the Helghast haven't ordered a large attack yet. We were expecting to be playing defense and now we're trying to come up with some sort of plan and move before we lose our chance. Even though we don't know why they're not moving, I just green lit a plan to take Salamun Bridge. Take a look." Alberts slid a paper across the table we were standing at to Al, who motioned for me to join him. We eyed over the few brief paragraphs, but the plan was simple; take the bridge. The higher-ups seemed to be expecting heavier resistance than at the landing site or arc towers, but still nothing compared to the Vektan force.

"The way the Helghast are planning really strikes me as odd," I muttered.

"I'm sure they knew that we expected a full-on assault."

"Well, even the youngest Helghast baby is raised to fight like that. It's not like we were far off." Al shrugged.

"Alright, Colonel. We'll make our preparations for the attack." Al said as he straightened himself. Alberts smiled and nodded, and we were dismissed.

"So what're we going to be doing at the bridge?" Istomin asked eagerly.

"The whole plan was three paragraphs long. What does that tell you?" I laughed.

**24 November 2359 **

**1123 Hours (Helghan Local Time) **

**Outside Gamma FOB **

"No, you're over-correcting. Subtle movements are key." I flicked off the safety on my M82 and crouched before a few makeshift targets. "Watch again closely." I lined up the shot and fired. The rifle's recoil was hardly noticeable anymore, and the shots flew true toward their targets. "Now, full auto." On the next target, I hit the trigger and held it until the weapon's bolt snapped shut. Almost every bullet had hit it's target. "The biggest thing you need to compensate for is recoil. Don't stiffen up too much, but don't let it slack either." Istomin dropped to one knee and fired his M82 at one of the targets. Even in bursts, they were spread apart. Every one hit the target, though.

"I actually hit it that time," Istomin said with only a hint of disappointment. I nodded.

"Now you need to keep your shots grouped together. If you spray like that too much, you'll hit a friendly or something." I extended a hand and helped him to his feet. We both reloaded the magazines and turned on the safety, then headed back toward camp. We walked in silence, with only the whipping wind and crunch of our boots filling the void.

"Hang on, I hear something." The voice was thick and mechanical. I turned and looked toward the side of the road, down an embankment into some dense Helghan shrubbery. I motioned for Istomin to get down and I flicked the safety off. Two red lights shone out of the brush, then a Helghast storm trooper emerged. Two more followed, and they looked around, dazed. I signaled Istomin from my cover position. Fire on my mark. Three... Two... One... Silently, I slid around the concrete barricade I had used to hide myself and squeezed off a burst into the Helghast group. As their officer fell, the other two looked around frantically for a moment. Another burst from Istomin dropped the farthest from me, and I placed a single round through the goggles of the last. I moved forward quickly, checking the bush for any other soldiers.

"Clear," I whispered to Istomin, then we charged back up the hill and sprinted toward camp.

**24 November 2359 **

**1149 Hours (Helghan Local Time) **

**Gamma FOB, Salamun District **

Istomin and I burst into the camp, panting from the run.

"Al!" I called across the camp, frantically waving my arms. Our CO hurried toward us. "We just caught a Helghast scout team. Took care of them, but I think they might be planning an attack." Al nodded, then motioned for us to follow. We entered the command post, and after the customary greeting Al relayed the information to Colonel Alberts.

"Hmm." Alberts muttered. "This does change things. We need to assume the Helghast are planning to move on our base here. You are still tasked to the bridge, but we won't be able to send reinforcements with you." Istomin looked visibly distressed, but Al and I remained our composure. Alberts smiled at Istomin. "Don't worry, Lance Corporal. You've got some of the finest men leading you on your way." Alberts then looked at Al and I. "I'm sure you can handle it. Make your preparations, you'll be leaving at 1400 hours." We all saluted and filed out of the command post to find Jekyll, who was crouched before the busted camp stove. I bent down next to him, banged it around a bit, and fired it up.

"Look at Z with his magic fingers."

"My girlfriend always did say I was good with my hands," I retorted. "We're moving on the bridge in about two hours. Just caught a Hig patrol. Mikey here got another kill." Jekyll smiled.

"Look at who's growing up," Alex joked. Istomin slapped him on the head lightly. "Maybe his mom won't have to pack him a lunch anymore."

"Up yours," Istomin countered, complete with gesture. Sometimes, the banter seemed out of place on such a backdrop, but it not only cut down on the monotonous bloodshed but also was a simple side effect of being paired up with a bunch of other testosterone junkies with no better way to pass the time than insult sparring. Plus, in a group like ours it generally goes unchecked. Nothing had turned into a fistfight yet.

**24 November 2359 **

**1439 Hours (Helghan Local Time) **

**Salamun District **

"The Higs need to invest more in infrastructure," Istomin muttered, eyeing the rusted guard rails and decayed concrete of the Lazar Highway, the only through-point for Visari Hill. Salamun District, the major civilian area surrounding the capitol area, was even more run-down than the rest of Pyrrhus. The medium-sized buildings were more like shanties, thrown together with driftwood frames and corrugated tin roofs. Pale faces and red eyes occasionally appeared in windows or on rooftops, none of them bearing red goggles, respirators, or weapons.

"We're almost at the bridge," I stated, glancing at my wrist-map.

"Yeah, I think I can see it over there," Jekyll said with a point. I nodded.

"Alright, the Helghast are going to be dug in deep here. This is their final stand, and we're on our own. Keep your wits about and stick together." We collectively nodded an hurried down the remaining length of highway, toward the bridge. As we crested the last hill of the highway, the whole scene came into view. The Salamun Bridge, a massive structure fastened to the ground with spires that reached for the barren skies, stretched across the Corinth River and led directly to Visari's door.

"You ready for this?" Jekyll asked Istomin, who nodded. Jekyll rolled his head and hefted his sniper rifle. "After you, ladies."

**A/N: Sorry I couldn't fix the formatting until now. I've been away from my computer and posted this chapter from my iPod. Hopefully you're able to read it now.**


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